My very handsome, very young brother Jim. This was taken at the beach probably about 1968, maybe as late as 1970? Suzy needs to help me date this. Jim is 10 years older than me and as stated previously he and Suzy were from our mother's first marriage to their father, Earl Trivette. I honestly never think of them as half siblings. When Mel and I came along they were there and they loved Mel and I like we were their own children. I think Mel and I were so fortunate to have had them. They always seemed to have time for us and really took up the slack when Mama and Daddy were unable to be the parents we needed them to be. What gifts we received from them both! Jim taught me so much! He taught us both to swim like fish. He was the lifeguard at Oakwoods Country Club for two summers and how I wanted to please him! I'd swim lap after lap just to get some praise from him. I remember so well how he was such a hero to me. So handsome, so smart! All the teen girls back then--late sixties that hung out at the pool just worshiped him. He also, later when he attended Western and joined the gymnastics team taught both Mel and I to tumble, do splits, backbends, and walk overs. Man--wish my body would do those bendy positions now! He also exposed us to science and nature. He loved snakes and insects and many times would catch a garter snake for us to play with. He took us to the movies ALL the time--frequently the drive-in--you know the one that was over on highway 115!? I remember one time he must have taken us to a scary one becasue I spent the evening in the passenger floorboard crying and wanting to go home!!
Jim tells me how excited they were when I was born. He developed his love of kids with Mel and I. He tells me sometimes Mama would make him get me to sleep for a nap and how he'd lay there with me until I fell asleep and how he'd have to ever so slowly slip his arm from around me and ever so gently creep from the bed. He would have been 10-12 years old! I can't imagine having asked Grant to do that at that age!
Love these photos of him. BTW--that's Suzy doing the rabbit ears on the second shot. How they teased each other! How very, very different they are/were!!! Jim shy, quiet, introspective and Suzy outgoing, loud, never met a stranger in her life, extrovert!! Naturally they clashed ALOT when they were young! We've been told a story about how Suzy kept beating Jim up and always came out on top of their squirmishes until finally Daddy got so sick of it that ....hmmm....forgetting exactly how this went.....let me call Suzy..... Man, did she ever set me straight! She says that what happened was that Suzy was always physically getting the better of Jim becasue he wouldn't fight back, he just took it. Mama and Daddy got so tired of the fighting and I guess figured to put a stop to it, Jim should give her what for! They made him hit her and show her she couldn't beat up on him. Suzy says that it was like a vampire getting his first sip of blood and Jim was brutal and ruthless with her from then on. BUT, big but here, Suzy deserved most of it. She says she used to file her nails to a point to she could scratch him better! She told me too about how they chased each other to grab the other one and beat up on each other and on two different occasions broke a glass storm door as they chased each other--Jim cutting his leg and Suzy her wrist--says she still has the scar! Glad I don't remember any of this! They were both so good to me and Mel! They just hated each other! They outgrew it and get along great today.
So very tan, so very young and healthy. He must have some Native American or some such in his line as he's a bit dark-skinned and tans easily. Jim's always been rather shy and extremely humble about his good looks. He has no idea how very attracted women are to him!
I don't know why the rest of us didn't get his intelligence! Suzy, Mel and I are just average smart but Jim surpasses us all--man, can he ever remember facts, trivia, etc. He ALWAYS beats us no matter what game we play. He begs us to play Trivial Pursuit with him but who wants to when we all know who's going to win? Sometimes we'll give in but make sure he's practically on a team by himself! And I proudly tell you that, btw, Jim's a member of mensa!! It's like I think I might have just a bit of the genes that he got? Surely a bit?!!
I love you Jim. And know how very much I appreciate how you nurtured me and helped me feel loved when I was growing up!
